Meet the up-and-coming designers shortlisted for the finals
This September, Stylefestph will open its gates to the ultimate fashion and beauty event in the country. Over the course of the three-day event mounted by Globe and Saga Events, attendees will pay witness to exciting runway shows, talks featuring some of the top leaders in the industry, exclusive conferences and the culmination of the Philippines’ largest design competition.
Following the nationwide search for the next generation of fashion designers, the event’s official stylecouncil gathered for the preliminary judging of designs entered into the contest between April 24 and May 25. The council is comprised of fashion designer and industry veteran Inno Sotto, top makeup artist Jigs Mayuga, co-founder and CEO of ZALORA Philippines Paulo Campos, fashion stylist and magazine editor Pam Quiñones, Wonder’s very own editor-in-chief Sarah Santiago, head of Globe Lifestyle Leah de Guzman and co-founder of Fashion Exchange International Carmina Sanchez-Jacob.
At the June 1 preliminary judging, the stylecouncil evaluated entries against four major criteria: overall theme and cohesiveness, retail marketability, technical construction and creativity/originality. Of the hundreds of aspiring applicants, these 16 talented individuals were shortlisted:
- Viña Romero
- Nicolò Perez
- Dino Bancoro
- Junnie Gambaloza
- Marc Baquiran-Lim Blanco
- Christopher “DC” de Castro
- Jamie Naval
- Lexus Cajucom
- Riah Lopez
- Nikki Pamatmat
- Patricia Felize B. Manuel
- Monsour Louie Sangalang
- Kristina Leanne Basilio
- Nicoline Shane Miranda
- Benjamin Rogando
- Ron Xavier Santos
The up-and-coming designers now get to move on to the next leg of the competition as the stylecouncil proceeds to handpick a Top 8. These lucky finalists will then be taken under the wing of the stylecouncil and will get to learn the ropes straight from these industry insiders and arbiters of taste themselves. The finalists will also get a chance to debut their creations on the Stylefestph stage. One winning collections will be produced and sold by Asia’s online fashion destination ZALORA and the other by Globe Lifestyle’s flagship clothing brand 0917.
Exciting stuff await the Top 16! Stay up-to-date and follow Stylefestph on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Photography Benedict Opinion
Art Alexandra Lara
